English - Etymology

Borrowing from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléksandros), from ἀλέξω (aléksō, “I defend”) + ἀνδρός (andrós), genitive of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”).

English - Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌælɨɡˈzændɚ/

English - Proper Noun

Alexander

1. A male given name, most famously held by Alexander the Great.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: Act V, Scene I:

     Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander, till he find it stopping a bung-hole?

   • 1765 Laurence Sterne: Tristram Shandy, Book IV, Chapter 18:

     And for my own part, said my uncle Toby, though I should blush to boast of myself, Trim - yet had my name been Alexander, I could have done no more at Namur than my duty.

   • 1985 Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist, ISBN 0-7011-2986-7, page 170:

     "My son's name is Alexander," Muriel said. "Did I tell you that? I named him Alexander because it sounded high-class.

2. A patronymic surname​.

Derived terms

Related terms

• Alexandra and its variants

Translations

Danish - Proper Noun

Alexander

1. A male given name, cognate to English Alexander.

Related terms

• (male given names:) Alex
• (female forms:) Alexandra, Sandra, Sascha

German - Proper Noun

Alexander

1. A male given name, cognate to English Alexander.

Related terms

• (male given names:) Sandro, Sascha
• (female names:) Alexandra, Sandra

Icelandic - Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːlɛksantɛ(ː)r/

Icelandic - Proper Noun

Alexander

Latin - Etymology

From Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléksandros), from ἀλέξω (aléksō, “I defend”) + ἀνδρός (andrós), genitive of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”).

Latin - Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˌa.leˈk͡san.der]

Latin - Proper Noun

Alexander

Norwegian - Alternative Forms

• Aleksander

Norwegian - Proper Noun

Alexander

1. A male given name, cognate to English Alexander.

Related terms

• (male given names:) Sander
• (female names:) Alexandra, Sandra

Norwegian - References

• [1] Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 9 615 males with the given name Alexander living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak in the 1980s. Accessed on 19 May, 2011.

Scots - Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ['alɛksandər]

Scots - Proper Noun

Alexander

1. A male given name

Derived terms

• (diminutive) Aleck, Eck, Eckie, Sandy, Saundy, Sawnie, Sawney, Sanders, Saunders, Sannock, Sannag, Sannagie

Scots - See Also

• Elshinner
• Alistair

Swedish - Etymology

Cognate with English Alexander. First recorded in Sweden (Scania) in 1201.

Swedish - Proper Noun

Alexander

1. A male given name.

Related terms

• (male given names) Alex
• (female names) Alexandra, Sandra
• (surnames) Alexandersson

Swedish - References

• Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, ISBN 91-21-10937-0
• [2] Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, ISBN 9119551622: 70 150 males with the given name Alexander living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1990s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

قافية